Madison Vetter featured as first artist
Grape Frog co-owner Loren Berthelsen hosted Madison Vetter and his artwork Friday for the first of what will be monthly receptions for artists in Hamilton County.
After the closing of the Cottonwood Art Gallery and Arts in January, both Berthelsen and Vetter have been behind making a space to showcase local talent for up to three weeks per month, allowing artists to sell physical prints directly to their supporters.
“Since the gallery closed, it’s really sad to see that happen, so I’m just trying to do our small part to keep art on people’s tongue here in town,” Berthelsen said.
The two men had been in discussion about the reception since Christmas. The goal both stated is to get one artist to have a reception on the second Friday of each month, provide a space for artists to sell prints and display their work for three weeks.
“People want to see art in town,” Vetter said. “It’s important to keep that going and the people who live here -- who make art -- need a place.”
Vetter gave a brief update on how his career has gone since his first showing last year at Cottonwood. He has had one show in Minneapolis that was up until November, has added more three-dimensional or sculpture art pieces to his work and has begun to speak to classes in Nebraska, something he wishes to do here as well with local schools.
“I’ve talked to UNL and now I talked to Wayne State,” he said. “I will come and give a demonstration to students or show work and just kind of talk to them...”
Though graduation party season was in full force that day, a steady crowd of about 10 showed during the first hour of the two-hour event, something that was promising to Vetter.
“It’s nice to have a home base,” he commented. “I know there’s a bunch of people coming but it’s also graduations. It was good to do something again.”
Berthelsen stated that he has high hopes for the event in the coming year.
“I’d love to see it grow and see people start to really realize that the second Friday (of the month) is art (day) in Aurora,” he said. “(I want to) make it more of a destination so people from other towns come in and check it out.”
Though Vetter expressed some social anxiety that made the meet-and-greet aspect of his career difficult, he said that the event at Grape Frog made it as relaxing as it could be.
“It’s a place where people can come and obviously ‘everybody is welcome here,’” he said in reference to a progress pride flag sticker that has the phrase on the front door of the shop. “So there’s no pressure and if they (artists and Grape Frog) get to sell some stuff, everybody wins.”